Smokey Cohiba, left, and Ginger Darling are Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum in a recent show by Bohemian Burlesque. / Andy Barron/RGJ

Written by

Neil Baron

Special to the RGJ

Ginger Darling performs as White Rose in a recent show by Bohemian Burlesque. / Andy Barron/RGJ

More on local burlesque

» For details on Bohemian Burlesque, do a search for its page on www.facebook.com or call Chelsea Chen at 775-225-2629.» For details on the A.Love.Nouveau le Burlesque Company, search for its page on www.facebook.com.

Two troupes, two showsWhat: A'DOLLed Fantasy's Adult Revue Burlesque ShowWhen: 8 p.m. April 17Where: Club Cal Neva, Second and Virginia streetsCost: $10 at the doorDetails: www.missgingerdevine or search A'DOLLed Fantasy on www.facebook.com

Kendal Knowles as Cheshire Cat performs on the lyra in "Down the Rabbit Hole" a recent "Alice in Wonderland"-themed show by Bohemian Burlesque. / Andy Barron/RGJ

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Making fun of the privileged always has been and continues to be, well, fun. From this playful mockery, an art form was born in the 19th century known as American burlesque.

"Its original intent was entertainment for the lower classes to make fun of the upper class," said Chelsea Chen, director of Bohemian Burlesque, Reno's longest-running troupe that formed in 2006. Its intent slowly changed and became less offensive to the wealthy. By the early 20th century, people of all classes were enjoying burlesque shows.

Much like cabaret and vaudeville, which is more skit-oriented, burlesque often includes song, dance and comedy. Many legendary comedians honed their craft on stage in burlesque shows. They include Red Skelton, Jackie Gleason, W.C. Fields, Phil Silvers and Bob Hope. In its basic form, burlesque is all those things with the addition of scantily clad women. The idea was, and is, to titillate audience members -- male or female -- without offending them. Thus, women might be naked dancing only with feather fans. But a talented burlesque dancer would reveal only so much, hence the phrase "strip tease."

"Burlesque isn't porn," Chen said. "It's about what you leave on, not what you take off. It's the art of the tease."

That, perhaps, is one of the few rules of burlesque. Aside from that, creativity is limited only by ideas. Sometimes, a familiar storyline will be used to help push the show along.

Bohemian Burlesque did just that during a four-show stint in March at the Great Escape nightclub. The show, "Down the Rabbit Hole," provided an edgy and risqué feel to a familiar story; Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." It was popular enough that several potential offers for shows in the near future have been presented, Chen said.

"Our shows are probably the most (sexually) suggestive that I've seen out here," Chen said. "We try to use as many creative and colorful sets and costumes as we can afford. And we create using collaborative choreography, meaning everyone gets to contribute in creating the numbers.

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"Down the Rabbit Hole" was elaborate in its aesthetics. The show featured a variety of costumes, scenery and gimmicks. Its 17-member cast featured women and men of all shapes and sizes. Stage experience ranged from newcomers to seasoned veterans.

"What I love about burlesque is it isn't just about skinny women," Chen said. "It's about confidence. Women of all ages and sizes can be beautiful. I've seen so many people gain so much confidence from their experience in burlesque. It's a positive experience. Besides, I think there's nothing sexier than confidence."

Despite the positives Chen mentioned, by the 1950s, burlesque had developed a black eye in mainstream America when it was, possibly unfairly, associated with prostitution, pornography and drug use.

But in the past decade, it has seen resurgence in popularity in major cities, including Reno -- not enough to show a profit for the performing troupes, at least not here, but that could change if enough people attend shows, said Miss Ginger Devine, director and producer of A'DOLLed Fantasy burlesque troupe, which has a show April 17 at Club Cal Neva.

However, that's not why these community members are performing.

"We do it because it's just so much darn fun," Chen said. "It feeds the soul. It feeds the spirit, and it builds a sense of positivity and community."

The various troupes even say they welcome the competition from other local groups.

"I wouldn't use the word 'competition,'" Olejniczak said. "I'd call it support. The more companies there are, the more people will realize there's good entertainment somewhere in town. I think we all support each other as best we can and will continue to do so. That's the way it should be."

A'DOLLed

A'DOLLed Fantasy has branched from the A.Love.Nouveau le Burlesque Company, which formed in late 2009. The unabashedly confident person standing at the forefront is Miss Ginger Devine, a 24-year-old drag queen who moved to Reno from Wisconsin in June.

"We're doing a mix of everything, cabaret and burlesque," said Devine, who also produces and directs the 14-member troupe. "We're creating many layers for the show. We don't want it to have a variety-show feel. We'll have headline numbers with girls in the background and lots for the audience to look at. It will be very multi-dimensional."

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With Nate Tavcar, 21, handling the choreography, the troupe will blend elements of jazz, funk and hip-hop along with more classic burlesque tunes. Dancers' experience ranges from relative newcomer to a 20-year-dance veteran, Devine said. It's similar to what the casinos once offered as late-night entertainment.

"We plan to offer high-production values with a theatrical feel and seamless numbers," Devine said of the two-hour show at Club Cal Neva.

'Struttin' '

In "Struttin,'" a Cabaret Revue, the cast of Lucky Rabbit Productions presents a cabaret revue with elements of burlesque added to the show. It will feature a variety of musical styles from the 1940s and '50s to contemporary.

The cast is small -- six dancers and a lead singer -- but it's also the most polished in the area in terms of choreography and dance experience. Edeanna Olejniczak, producer and co-founder of Lucky Rabbit Productions is a veteran professional dancer. She has appeared in dozens of casino productions and theater shows and brings several decades of dance experience to the younger members. Also in the cast is Gina Hernandez, longtime owner and teacher of Dance Unlimited Reno, and Bill Sanchez, 44, who has been dancing since he was 6.

A trio of Hernandez's students and accomplished lead singer Autumn Heffern, 21, fill the cast.

"Cabaret tends to be a little more structured than burlesque," Olejniczak said. "Burlesque is a little more freestyle. We use costumes and wigs and allow our performers to get into a character. We are lucky to have an extremely talented and dedicated group of people who are doing this because they love to perform."